That I Might Live by Meara Dixon

That I Might Live Reviews

• 
  Elena

  I've read a lot of WWII fiction and always learn a lot about that difficult era through the context of fiction based on true events. When I found out the sister of a close friend recently published a WWII novel for middle-school age, I was interested and brought it up as a possibility for our book club. A few months later, we were able to have the author join us for book club, which was such a treat! This novel was thoughtfully researched and written, with an engaging and intriguing plot that had me rooting for the main character, Sylvia, through all her challenges, as well as including history I wasn't aware of. I appreciated that Meara was very intentional in the amount of pain and suffering she exposed the reader to, since it's a book that targets a younger crowd. For example, she didn't want the reader to step foot in a concentration camp, so there weren't scenes in one, though there were several people who were sent to them, so the reader can still learn of those atrocities without the extreme heaviness of all the details. I also loved how the book focused on the many different people who helped Sylvia along the way to help her survive as a Jew in occupied France. There are illustrations in the novel that may help a middle-schooler to better connect with the story and imagine the scenes. This would be a fantastic book for a parent to read with their middle or high-schooler as they discuss WWII, though I enjoyed it as an adult and didn't feel it was too simple or juvenile at all. I am adding it to my list of favorite WWII novels since it impacted me so much and hearing about the writing process from the author made it such a rich reading experience.
  
  Content rating: G to PG (alludes to certain violence against Jews but very careful not to share too much).
• 
  Elsie

  Local author. Interesting viewpoint - told from grand-daughter's repeating the stories her grandmother told her about the grandmother's experiences in Paris and Normandy during World War II and the Holocaust.
  
  Took me so long because I started it and then failed to take it to conference so I couldn't finish it until I got home.